Casket truck



0d. 1, 1935. H, FLOYD 2,016,232

CASKET TRUCK Filed Sept. 27, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l Gd. 1, 1935. I H,FLOYD 2,U16,232

CASKET TRUCK- Filed Sept. 27, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3mm v u fl/gfPatented Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The main objects of my invention are first, to

improve the appearance and operation of casket trucks using lazy-tongconnections between the corner posts; second, to hide within the poststhe sliding members to which the upper ends of the lazy-tong bars arepivoted; third, to lock said members in any adjusted position; fourth,to lock the caster wheels in closed positon; and other objectshereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicatecorresponding parts,

Fig. 1 represents a plan view of a casket truck opened to largestoperative position and exemplifying my improvements;

Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 2A, a detail showing the locking position of the center handleblock;

Fig. 3, a side view of the truck in its closed position;

Fig. l, an enlarged detail of the upper part of a corner post, vieweddiagonally from inside the truck frame;

Fig. 5, a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6, a horizontal plan View and section of a corner post on the line66 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7, a vertical section on the line 'l--] of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 8 designates the corner postsconnected by lazy-tongs or other extendible bars forming sides 9 andends Ill of a rectangular frame, which is adjustable horizontally tovarious sizes by operating said connections.

These corner posts are tubular with slots l I at the top, which slotsare closed by fixed caps [2, preferably octagonal, having cushions forcontact with a casket to be carried thereon. The said slots are locatedin the inner face of each post midway between a side and adjacent endframe, and preferably only one slot to each post.

Inside each of these posts and opposite the slot is mounted a slidablemember l3, preferably a hollow block, having near its lower end alateral projection M extending through the slot and then widened out forpivotal connection to adjacent upper ends of the bars of side and endframes. This widened portion is preferably formed by diverging Wings 55extending upward, provided on 'their tips with bosses 16 having tappedholes for stud bolts, or otherwise adapted for pivotal connection to thebar frames.

A thumb screw I1 is transversely mounted in the slidable member betweensaid wings, and on its inner end is mounted a curved chafing plate 18 5in a recess of said member, adapted to bear against the inside of thepost by turning said screw, and thus lock the member in any adjustedposition. This plate avoids marring the inside surface of the post bydirect engagement -cf the 10 screw thereon, which would obstruct slidingmovement of said member.

In the bottom end of each post is: mounted a bushing I 9, closed at itsupper end. A stem 23 of a caster wheel-carrying yoke 2|, is rotatably 5mounted in said bushing and is preferably provided with a ball 22 at thetop. The stem has an annular groove 23, and pins 24 mounted in thebushing project into said groove to hold the stem rotatably in thebushing.

A wide annular flange 25 on the stem below the post, has vertical holestherein which are engaged by a slidable trip, pin 26 mounted in a collar21 on the end of the post, to lock the stem from turning when desired. Adouble pointed 25 spring 28 in said collar enters a recess in the pin tohold the pin in raised and lowered positions. The pin is readilyadjusted by hand or foot by means of a bent upper end 29.

This collar has a triangular lateral lug with 30 tapped bearing faces 30for pivotal connection with the lower ends of adjacent bars in the sideand end frames 9 and I0. Intermediate bearing faces 3| in the fourcollars are similarly adapted for pivotal connection with the outer endsof bars 32 diagonally disposed within the truck frame. The inner ends ofsaid bars are rounded on' their lower corners and square on their uppercorners (Fig. 2A), and pivotally connected to respective sockets in acenter handle block 33, so as to limit 40 the downward movement of saidblock by engaging said upper corners with the respective sockets whenpushed below the horizontal plane through said bars (Figs. 1 and 2). Thehandle block thus locks the diagonal bars in their lowest position andbraces the corner posts in their most widely separated position (Fig.1). Smaller sizes of trucks are formed by raising the center handle topull inward the corner posts, and locking the slidable members l3 intheir corresponding positions inside the posts by the thumb screws II.

In the closed position of the truck (Fig. 3) the center handle is raisedabove the corner posts by the diagonal bar connections to a positionconvenient for grasping and the caster wheel forks projections throughrespective slots and provided are locked by the trip pins 26. withdiverging wings pivotally engaging adjacent I claim: bars, and a thumbscrew mounted in each mem- A casket truck comprising a rectangular frameber between said Wings and extending through 5 of extendible bars andtubular corner posts havsaid member to exert pressure on the inside of 5ing vertical slots in their inner faces, slidable the post,substantially as described. members mounted inside said posts havinglateral HARRY T. FLOYD.

